Referent based search suggestions

• US 9,501,583 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Nordstrom, Paul, Whitelaw, Casey Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, NICHOLAS E
• Application Number:
  US14/589,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20150127640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 707/767
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods for providing suggestions for a search based on previously viewed content are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving information on previously viewed content, and receiving a request to enter a query into a search field subsequent to receiving the information on the previously viewed content. The method also includes identifying, based on the content, at least one entity referred to in the content, and providing an identifier of the at least one entity for display with the search field. Systems and machine-readable storage media are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving content information indicating content electronically viewed by a user on a computing device;

identifying, based on the content information, one or more entities referred to in the content, wherein identifying at least one entity of the one or more entities is further based on proximity of the at least one entity to a location associated with the computing device, and wherein each of the one or more entities is associated with a weight value indicating a likelihood that the corresponding entity is a referent of the content;

identifying, for the at least one entity referred to in the content, one or more actions that are mapped to the at least one entity in an entity database;

receiving, via the computing device of the user and subsequent to receiving the content information, a request to enter a query into a search field; and

providing, for display with the search field in response to the request to enter the query into the search field, an identifier of the at least one entity and an identifier of a first action of the one or more actions that are mapped to the at least one entity;

wherein selection of the identifier of the first action via the computing device causes additional content to be displayed at the computing device that is specific to the first action for the at least one entity.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the at least one entity and the identifier of the first action are provided for display in a suggestions list below the search field.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the identifier of the at least one entity and the identifier of the first action are provided for display in the suggestions list along with a previously entered query by the user, the previously entered query being unrelated to the identified entities referred to in the content.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein selection of the previously entered query by the user causes a web search for the previously entered query to be performed.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, for display with the search field, an identifier of a second action of the one or more actions that are mapped to the at least one entity;

wherein selection of the identifier of the second action via the computing device causes second additional content to be displayed at the computing device that is specific to the second action for the at least one entity.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one entity is associated with a physical entity location, wherein the first action is an action of providing directions to the physical entity location, and wherein the additional content includes directions to the physical entity location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one entity is associated with a phone number that is not included in the content, and further comprising:

identifying the phone number based on a mapping between the at least one entity and the phone number in a database external to the content;

wherein the first action is an action of dialing the phone number, and wherein the additional content includes content directed to dialing the phone number.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a weight assigned to the first action;

wherein providing the identifier of the first action for display with the search field is based on the weight.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving contextual data indicating a context in which the content was electronically viewed by the user;

wherein providing the identifier of the first action for display with the search field is further based on the contextual data.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the contextual data includes the location associated with the computing device, and wherein the location associated with the computing device is a location of the computing device when the content was electronically viewed by the user.

11. A system comprising:

a memory comprising content information indicating content electronically viewed by a user on a computing device, the content information comprising an address of the previously viewed user content, pointer to the previously viewed user content, or a copy of the previously viewed user content; and

a processor configured to;

identify, based on the content information, one or more entities referred to in the content, wherein identifying at least one entity of the at least one or more entities is further based on proximity of the at least one entity to a location associated with the computing device, and wherein each of the one or more entities is associated with a weight value indicating a likelihood that the corresponding entity is a referent of the content;

identify, for at least one entity of the one or more entities referred to in the content, one or more actions that are mapped to the at least one entity in an entity database;

receive a request of the user to enter a query into a search field; and

provide, for display with the search field in response to the request to enter

the query into the search field, an identifier of the at least one entity and an identifier of a first action of the one or more actions that are mapped to the at least one entity;

specific to the first action for the at least one entity.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the identifier of the at least one entity and the identifier of the first action are provided for display in a suggestions list below the search field.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the identifier of the at least one entity and the identifier of the first action are provided for display in the suggestions list along with a previously entered query by the user, the previously entered query being unrelated to the identified entities referred to in the content.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein selection of the previously entered query by the user causes a web search for the previously entered query to be performed.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide, for display with the search field, an identifier of a second action of the one or more actions that are mapped to the at least one entity;

wherein selection of the identifier of the second action via the computing device causes second additional content to be displayed at the computing device that is specific to the second action for the at least one entity.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one entity is associated with a physical entity location, wherein the first action is an action of providing directions to the physical entity location, and wherein the additional content includes directions to the physical entity location.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one entity is associated with a phone number that is not included in the content, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the phone number based on a mapping between the first action is an action of dialing the phone number, and wherein the additional content includes content directed to dialing the phone number.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a weight assigned to the first action;

wherein providing the identifier of the first action for display with the search field is based on the weight.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive contextual data indicating a context in which the content was electronically viewed by the user;

wherein providing the identifier of the first action for display with the search field is further based on the contextual data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the contextual data includes the location associated with the computing device, and wherein the location associated with the computing device is a location of the computing device when the content was electronically viewed by the user.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for providing suggestions for a search based on previously viewed content, the method comprising:

receiving content information indicating content electronically viewed by a user on a computing device;

identifying, based on the content information, one or more entities referred to in the content, wherein identifying at least one entity of the one or more entities is further based on proximity of the at least one entity to a location associated with the computing device, and wherein each of the one or more entities is associated with a weight value indicating a likelihood that the corresponding entity is a referent of the content;

identifying, for the at least one entity referred to in the content, one or more actions that are mapped to the at least one entity in an entity database;

receiving, via the computing device of the user and subsequent to receiving the content information, a request to enter a query into a search field; and

providing, for display with the search field in response to the request to enter the query into the search field, an identifier of the at least one entity and an identifier of a first action of the one or more actions that are mapped to the at least one entity;

wherein selection of the identifier of the first action via the computing device causes additional content to be displayed at the computing device that is specific to the first action for the at least one entity.